Who Gets What?

"Dawson's Home For Wayward Chickens, explained at the end of this podcast, is an element in the life of former journalist and broadcaster Shannon Dawson who produces televised debates between gubernatorial and senatorial candidates in Indiana, advocates for suicide prevention, and promotes documentaries regarding food insecurity.  

Having served on the Indianapolis Public Schools Board between 2012 to 2016, subsequently serving as teacher and consultant, and now running for the IPS Board of Commissioners, Dr. Gayle Cosby has a unique and broad perspective with changes involving geography of board districts, the rise of charter schools, the application of vouchers, the costs of running for school boards, and the influence of specific organizations, many knowns as PACs, to influence who wins and what policies are approved.  

Dr. McCray is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in counseling individuals and considering elements of public policy.  She believes she can bring these experiences to positive public policy when she becomes a United States Senator.  

In his successive second interview with us, Mike Hannigan describes the functions of The Federal Home Loan Bank system.  (Mike was a board member of The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.  He also served in many trade association leadership positions.)

Mike Hannigan understands both the needs and processes to originate and conclude major development projects, all taking many months and years from start to finish, some more than a decade.  This is the task of converting land to its highest and best use.  Some residential. Some commercial or industrial.  In any case, look at any project, any at all, and "you will see an effort that was opposed by some, perhaps by many, at the start."  (Specific local projects are mentioned.)

Courtney Johnson, with spouse and two children, still finds time to direct a powerful youth center ( "Y & E," which stands for "Young and Established"), to serve as a professional life coach, manage a food bank, maintain a marketing company, work as director of community and resources for The Evansville Housing Authority, and he is at-large member of The Evansville City Council.  Whew!!

Inappropriate use of statistics, a prominent element in politics, is considered, criticized, and evaluated, in this conversation between the moderators of Who Gets What.

Public schools serve all residents.  Vouchers do not.  They do not serve populations in small towns having only one school, itself barely supported.  Vouchers tend to subsize wealthy persons who can afford private school tuitions.  Perhaps as much as 90 % of voucher subsidizes go to schools having support from a single religion.  These are just a few of the powerful points in this discussion.

Since 1992, Senior Home Companions has provided personal caregivers for the memory challenged and infirm.  More recently, it has built Story Cottages, fully-staffed facilities for as few as 8 resident guests.  Its leader is David Morgan who tells us about planning for the later years and, of course:  Aging In Place.  

Drum Major Larry Lafferty compellingly describes his experiences starting with the 1968 Indiana Marching Hundred, The Rose Bowl Year.  Now a retired school administrator from Bedford, IN., Larry reflects on Indiana sports history and movies in which his band made appearances.  Meanwhile, podcast host Morton reveals that his son was a high school drum major. 

The Big Car Collaborative, a nonprofit art and design organization, utilizes tools of culture and creativity to build community and social cohesion — helping connect people as a way to boost quality of life.  Its co-founder* and Executive Director, Jim Walker, covers many topics, such as use of color in housing, reducing the housing burden on artists, the park-like project on The Circle, and its primary facility, Tube Factory Artspace. *With his wife, Shauta Marsh, Director of Programs and Exhibitions.  

Dedicated, energetic, non partisan Julia Vaughn has been working to improve Indiana's democratic systems, to foster transparency and to extend voting rights to all eligible Indiana citizens, talks about recent actual and proposed restrictions on voter eligibility.   In her view, Indiana does not have an election security problem.  Instead, it has a voter participation problem.  In 2022, Indiana was 50th in vother turnout.

John Ketzenberger, Director of Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy (Indiana Chapter), reminds us of its many projects, as well as the opportunities to share and to understand nature in Indiana.  John thanks Morton for "cranking me up on a Friday morning," after Morton wonders why so many different environmental organizations exist.    

Local mass transportation, a new soccer stadium and the new judicial center are just a few of the topics in this exchange with Greg Ballard, 48th Mayor of Indianapolis. 

This rambling dicussion between two economists, our host Morton Marcus, and our guest Bruce Jaffee, covers money in athletics, history disappearing, news as entertainment, regulating business, and the compelling need to teach critical thinking--the ability to ask questions, to see the difference between fact and fiction.  For over four decades, Bruce was a teacher, an observer, an author of impact studies, and a faculty representative to the NCAA.  

Habitat for Humanity's State Director, Gina Leckron, talks about both the need for housing, especially starter homes, as well as means for Habitat's many chapters to attract donors.  One method is to utilize The Attainable Home Ownership Indiana Income Tax Credit, created this year by The Indiana General Assembly.  

Tuck Langland has produced major works of art throughout the world.  Here we consider/debate ideas about creativity in general, creating art on computers, the proper and improper application of artificial intelligence to copy or to enhance new works of art, and production by 3-d printing.  Tuck asks "can artificial intelligence create new ideas?"  Then he states:  "I do not think a machine can create a world."

Jim Brainard may be the most expererienced urban planner in Indiana, possibly the nation, having served as Mayor of Carmel since 1996.  In this conversation, he challenges assumptions about "weak mayors" by comparing Indiana's institutional system to those of other states.  The long-term costs of urban sprawl are considered, as well as the absurd system of government jurisdictions competing with each other by offering economic incentives to large companies.  

Jill's House serves up to 33 guests in Bloomington.  Angela Hays has many tasks under the title Community Development Consultant.  She talks about the nature of dementia, finanicial considersations and the broad national need for additional services.